Zazen is the core practice of our Zen training. The word zazen means “sitting zen” and it refers to the activity of seated meditation.
During zazen, we sit cross-legged on a cushion, with our backs straight and our hands resting in front of our abdomen. With our eyes opened, we breathe naturally through our noses and maintain an alert yet relaxed concentration.
Unlike other forms of meditation that encourage closing the eyes, or listening to recorded audio, zazen does not promote escaping life but fully engaging with it. During zazen we are facing the world as it truly is. We sit with all of our senses engaged and do not withdraw into inner fantasies.
During zazen we do not move. There is nothing to fix, nothing to attend to during meditation. Thoughts are neither chased nor suppressed, they are simply let to pass on as easily as they arrived. When discomfort arises, like numb legs or a dull ache, we simply breathe through it.
Breathing is essential to zazen. We breathe deeply and slowly through our nose, allowing exhalations to lengthen naturally. Each inhalation fills the body with energy while the exhalation releases tension. This phenomenon happens when we activate the Tanden (center of energetic strength) during breathing. The Tanden is activated through proper diaphragmatic breathing using our Hara (lower abdomen).
After zazen, we may notice a shift in our state of mind, one that feels clearer and without much obstructions. Our bodies may feel relaxed as well as a sense of vital energy flows through it.
Zazen is not about achieving a mystical state. It is about meeting life exactly as it is, moment by moment. The tools are our breath, posture, and our senses, and the result is healing the dualities of our existence.